Living As Them
by rachrock3097
Summary: Mortimer Goth suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder, but hardly anyone knows about it. He wants to keep it hidden from his few friends because he doesn't want them to leave him. He has to live life as other people constantly, and it's effecting his own life. What will happen when one of his only friends, Bella, discovers his secret? And what about Michael? He hates him enough!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! So, as you may have noticed I'm a new writer here on and this is my first EVER fanfic, though I have been reading them for a while. I've written my own stories before on other sites, mainly Wattpad, and I go by the name Rachrock3097 on there too if you happen to be scrolling past :) I was introduced to this website by Megan, A.K.A SunsetValleyLove, and if you haven't seen her around then go check out her stuff. This fanfiction is written in Mortimer's POV (though I might add in a bit of Bella POV later). I'm quite a new simmer, so if I get any details wrong then please just let me know. Enjoy! :D**

_**This is written purely for entertainment purposes and I definitely don't mean to offend anyone with anything I've written. This is a comedic view, as well as a serious one, at Multiple Personality Disorder and its affects on people. **_

The name's Mortimer, Mortimer Goth. Or at least that's what it is when I'm actually in control of myself. Yes, I have multiple personality disorder (MPD) which means I can turn into any unique individual at any given moment. I also gain their name, which makes certain situations become rather awkward when I turn into a female. It happens all too often that I am accused of being transgender. Just to clarify, I most definitely am not.

I have few friends, mainly because I'm so abnormal that everybody in my school is confused, irritated, afraid of or, in the nerds' case, fascinated by my MPD. I've adapted to their way of observing my behavior and taking notes of each of my characters, though I would like to point out that I am in no way a specimen for study. If I'm completely honest, they probably know more about my personalities than I do; I just know when I'm in character and when I'm not. I don't even get a sense of warning or any time to react, I just switch spontaneously.

Most people with this, or any condition, live their lives the way I do. Even though the nerds are aware of my disorder from intense study of my behaviour, the rest of the school aren't. This is the explanation for why I have so few friends. The nerds like to consider themselves as my friends, but they're more of my anthropologists.

I would consider Caiden, a boy who is two years younger than me, as my friend. We hang out together at home whenever we can, and he loves coming over to my manor house to play on the XBox, but we're not allowed to go around together at school with him only being in Year Seven and me being in Year Nine. Besides, I would get even more grief of the guys at my school if they found me hanging around with a 12 year old. My only real friend that I can be seen with is none other than Bella Batchelor. Even then, though, everybody assumes we are a couple. I mean, Bella is kind-hearted and beautiful, but I wish I could just be her friend without people making assumptions. Sadly, that's how our messed up world works nowadays.

"Hey, Morty, are you coming to play?" Shouts Caiden from his bedroom window. He only lives over the road from me, and with a house as unique as Goth Manor, he can spot my room easily and communicate anytime he wants.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be over in ten minutes." I call over. I grab my mobile phone and run down our creaky old staircase.

"Be back for dinner, son. Remember we're having the big dinner party in the graveyard tonight." Dad reminds me. We have a dinner party every month on the 13th of each month, this one being May. It's our way of remembering my older sister, Lolita, who died a few years back.

"Gunther, have you told him?" Mum murmers, nudging him.

"Ah, yes, that nice young lady, what's her name? Ah - Bella! Bella and her family will be making an appearence tonight, so be back with plenty of time to clean up." And then he winks. Seriously, father? I decide it's best just to smile and exit; if I get to intense I could end up switching character.

"Also, that young lad over the road will be coming too!" He shouts as I leave.

I sprint down the road, but as I do so, I very nearly collide with a car. But, instead of being a normal person and stepping out of the way, Alex kicks in. Alex is one of my personalities, and to be honest he is probably the most helpful. Whenever there is an athletically challenging or physical task, he takes control of me. This time, he made me leap over the bonnet of the car, do a cartwheel on the roof and jump back down onto the road. People passing by and the driver were just sat staring, in awe, as Alex continued my short sprint to Caiden's house for me.

"Morty!" He grins as he sees me approach his front door. One thing about when my personalities take over is that they all have different ways of beginning and ending. Like with Alex; he appears when I'm in an athletic environment, but I can't be snapped out of it just by someone saying my name. Usually, I only really come back around when the opposite of the trigger situation occurs.

This, however, means that I - I mean Alex - is looking around for this 'Morty' guy. Strange. He's nowhere.

"Okay there, buddy?" Enquires Caiden, dragging me into his house and up the stairs. I should probably mention that he is actually unaware of my MPD as well. And I think I would rather keep it a secret from him; he might tell Bella. Whenever I switch character he either thinks it's some really cool game, or I'm just being really weird.

He pushes me down into a bean bag and hands me a controller. Instantly, I revert back to Mortimer. Alex would never be caught slobbing about playing video games.

"What should we play, Morty?" He asks, nudging me. "How about Fifa?"

"Yeah, sure." I don't actually want to play Fifa, considering if I even see a football, Alex will completely take over me and I'll end up playing football with Caiden's head or something.

We get to the loading screen and Alex immediately kicks in. He makes me jump up off the bean bag and start kicking the wall. Internally, I'm yelling at him, but I can't snap myself out of it.

"What are you doing? Stop it, sit down, Morty! This isn't time for one of your role play games." Caiden commands, shoving me back into the bean bag. I sigh in relief, contemplating the damage I could have caused to his bedroom wall if I'd have continued.

"Hey, um, it's nearly five and the dinner party starts soon, I think I should be going." I babble, trying to find an excuse to leave before Alex takes over again.

"What are you on about, it doesn't start 'till seven, you plank." Crap. I forgot he was coming.

"Yeah, but I've got things to...sort. Yeah, things to sort. Gotta run, see you later!" And, with that, I shoot down the stair as fast as I can - which is only powerwalking pace so that I don't awaken Alex again - and head home to prepare for the night ahead. Oh, how hiding this from the guests will be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again :) I'm trying to upload at least one chapter per day, usually before 11pm (GMT/UK time) but I do have a feeling that I'm going to be swamped by homework this coming week so please bear with me if I can't. In this chapter I'm trying to make as many corrections as I can, and I do apologize for writing "Batchelor" instead of "Bachelor" and that is all thanks to my English teacher – Miss Batchelor. Also, I've very slightly altered Mortimer's appearance in my game because I prefer him with a side fringe and with slightly more open eyes. I've changed his clothes to suit the story a bit more too (please don't shoot me) so he'll look as described on the cover when I eventually get round to making it. Enjoy Chapter Two!**

I return home to find that nobody is here. I go upstairs to look out of the window, and they're already in the graveyard setting up. They're also talking to Simis and Jocasta, Bella's parents, who have arrived early to help set up. I decide that this would be a good time for a shower. I make my way to the bathroom and climb in, but I have to make sure that the window is shut so that nobody can here me. There is a very good reason for this - whenever I remove my shirt, I become the most confident, cocky even, person in the world. I all of a sudden think I'm the hottest guy in the world, start posing naked in the mirror and sing pop songs incredibly loudly. This personality is called Cole. He's pretty easy to control as long as I can get a shirt on quickly.

When Cole decides he has flexed in the mirror enough and finished showering, he goes into my room. One good thing about the Cole side of me is that he has an amazing sense of fashion, and that really comes in handy. He picks out my favourite pair of black skinny jeans and a belt, even though he is well aware that I don't understand the concept of a belt and still end up wearing my jeans as low as possible. He also decides on a white dress shirt, classy, a black skinny tie and a smart black blazer. Very black, Cole knows me well. Then he goes over to my shoe corner and sniggers.

"Is this really all you've got, dude?" He sighs, pointing to my pair of black converse, white high tops and scuffed boots. "The white things will do." And he dumps them on my bed. "My work here is done. Adios, amigo!" And then I snap back into being Mortimer. It was so strange; they never normally dismiss themselves, and I still wasn't wearing a shirt!

I wonder if this is a start of a new era...maybe my personalities are becoming more of a help than a hinderance? With that thought going around my mind, I get dressed. I smile at myself in the mirror. "Thanks Cole." I whisper.

"Mortimer!" I hear mum shout from downstairs. "Mortimer, get down here; the guests are arriving!"

"Okay, okay, I'll be down in a second. I spray on some aftershave and head downstairs. She was holding about six platters of hotdogs, cheese cubes, triangular sandwiches and other snack foods whilst trying to open the door.

"Hang on, I'll get the door." I say, holding it open for her.

"Good lad. Bella's just coming over now."

I freeze. Oh Lord. Bella, my best friend, she's here and there's no turning back. My personalities have been acting up all day and I don't want her to find out about any of them, not yet anyway.

"Breathe, Mortimer, breathe." I tell myself in my head. I have to calm myself down fast to stop myself from transforming again, but this time into Alice. This was the first female personality that began when I first got my condition. Whenever I'm nervous, intimidated or just plain scared, Alice comes out. If the situation gets too intense then she will just curl up in a corner and cry. Therefore, I will curl up in a corner and cry, and end up making myself look like an idiot. Alice did not go down well on my first day at secondary school, but that's a whole other story. "This is Bella, she's you're best friend. You've known her for years and you know that she would never judge you. Besides, if you stay positive then you know you can control them. Come on, stay strong, Morty!"

"What are you grinning about?" Laughs Bella as she spots me.

"You, you look…beautiful," I say, and then immediately regret it. Bella is supposed to be my best friend; you don't tell your best friend that she looks beautiful. Although, that red dress compliments her stunning figure so well, and her silky black hair looks perfect, as per usual, and…what am I even thinking? Bella is my friend, and nothing more.

"Thank you, Morty, you're looking rather dapper yourself this evening." She blushes, and then grins as she flicks a stray hair from my side fringe out of my eyes.

"Should we, um, head over to the graveyard now?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"Sure. This is my first time at one of your dinner parties, is it like…a morbid event." She enquires, using a tactical way of saying 'are we going to be mourning your sister all evening?'

"No, no, it's quite upbeat, actually. We have music, food and it's kind of just like a catch up event with the neighbours, though it's all in memory of Lolita."

"Oh, that's sweet. I'm not over-dressed, am I?" She quickly asks.

"A gorgeous little lady like you could never have too many clothes on…I'd rather see them off, darling." I say, winking. 'Wait! That wasn't me; that was Cole! He's a ladies man. He must be attracted to Bella. But that make me attracted to Bella. No, it's Cole. But I am Cole! Argh!' I scream at myself in my head.

"Um, thank you…" She blushes, finding the situation just as awkward as I am. "Was that another one of your role play characters?" She asks, smiling suddenly.

"Uh, yeah, of course it was!" I latch onto the idea, practically sighing in relief. "Right, let's go." And I lead her through the gate and down the path to the graveyard. It was pretty poorly lit, which was unusual as we generally have lanterns hanging from the branches of the trees to illuminate the area.

"Ah, son, come over here!" Dad shouts. "All of the lanterns have burnt out, and we're going to have to light some candles. Here's a lighter, set to work, boy!" He throws his favourite black and silver speckled lighter to me. I light thirteen candles to make up for the thirteen lanterns that we usually have, then go back over to join Bella.

"Morty!" Caiden yells, running over to me. "What was up earlier, you were acting really weird."

"Oh, it was nothing, I'm just...you know, I'm just always a bit strange on these days, with all the memories of my sister and all."

"Oh, okay, well, you can come over again tomorrow if you're feeling better."

"Sure." I say through gritted teeth, hoping he doesn't have Fifa in mind again. Then he runs off because his mum doesn't like him being out of her sight.

"Okay, sorry about that, Bella. So how has your weekend been?" I enquire, trying to make small talk because I'm still feeling awkward about Cole's earlier outburst.

"You know, just the usual stuff. I've been up to my neck in science coursework, I've had maths revision for that upcoming exam, and sir sent an email yesterday saying that everyone in the class had to pair up for a media studies project. I'm not sure what it's on yet, but practically everyone's partnered up. I think I'm the last person left!"

"Really, I don't have a partner yet…" I hint

"Do you not? I thought you would have gone with Greg or Gillian or someone." It was nice of her to suggest pairing me with the dorkiest, most unpopular (even more so than me) and wimpy people in the whole class. It's not that I'm judging them; it's just that it would have been nice for her to suggest someone a bit higher up in the rankings. She is supposed to be my best friend, after all. "Well, how about we work together, then?

"Yeah, that would be cool." I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant; as if it didn't actually matter to me.

"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!" Yes, some incredibly high pitched dinging was coming from the bell that my mum was shaking, supposedly trying to gather everyone's attention.

"Food is now available to those who want it. We have a variation of soups, sandwiches, and biscuits as well as an open barbeque over by Gunther. Music will be played shortly and we can all have a lovely chat, but right now, let's not forget why we are gathered here today. My daughter, Lolita Goth, is that very reason. I won't go into great detail as I'm sure you've heard the story before, but let's all just have a round of applause for my deceased daughter, Lolita Goth." And we all break into the usual awkward 3 minutes of clapping where nobody knows quite when to stop.

"Mortimer!" Bella taps me on the arm urgently. "Mortimer, look over there!" She shouts, clutching onto my arm.

A few feet away, in amongst the trees and gravestones, the ghost of my sister is standing. She's bowing, taking in her applause. The graveyard falls silent, and most of the candles coincidentally burn out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three, already! :D Yay! There aren't many MPD references in this part as he's gained a bit of control for the evening ahead, but don't worry; I'll make up for that in Chapter Four. This chapter's a bit of a creepy one, but it's all in preparation for tomorrow's part ;) Also, this is the first time I include a bit of Bella POV, so let me know how that works! Sorry if this is a bit short; I've been at school all day and when I got home the server was down so I couldn't set to work! Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy part 3 of Living As Them!**

"Lolita," I mutter. "That – that's my sister, Lolita."

"But she died, Mortimer." Bella whispers back.

"It's her ghost. People tell stories about her floating around the graveyard at night, but I never thought they were actually true!"

"Well there's your evidence." She states. Bella doesn't even sound scared anymore, although it's not unusual for her to overcome fear quickly. She's so strong and in control of herself. Speaking of being in control of ourselves; I thankfully don't feel any emotion strong enough to make me switch character, nor is there a particular situation to trigger the transformation at this moment. This means that for now I can avoid making a fool of myself in front of all of the guests.

"Lolita, darling!" Mumruns towards her with her arms open wide.

At this point, Lolita realises that we're all staring at her, and she stops still. After one final bow, she dissipates and mum is left, her arms still spread wide, speechless.

"Lolita?" She whispers, one final time.

"Cornelia, darling, perhaps it's time we forget about Lolita. She's been gone for 8 years now and-" Dad suggests.

"I will _never _forget about my daughter!" And, with that, she runs into the house sobbing. Dad follows, waving his hand dismissively at the remaining guests. They get the message and, one by one, flee the premises until Bella and I are left alone in the graveyard.

"Wow…" Bella sighs, trying to take in the evening's events.

I sit back on the ground and wonder. I wonder how we've never seen her before; we throw these parties every month and why she didn't stay around to talk to us. Then I'm snapped out of my bubble of thought by an echoing voice, so slow and calm that it's almost seductive.

"Mortimer, Mortimer – come find me. I miss you, Morty, why don't we have a catch up?" Although the voice is loud and inviting, I choose to ignore it. Besides, it's probably just my mind playing tricks. I stay still, and instead turn to Bella. She is sat in the equivalent position to me.

**Bella's POV**

"Hey, girl with the hips, you had better be a good little girl to my brother!" A strange, fierce voice says, out of nowhere.

"Um, what do you mean…?" I think to myself, not wanting to come of strange to Mortimer, who is sat beside me and looks deep in thought.

"I mean, little missy, that you had better treat him right! I don't want any of your sass! My little brother is a sensitive soul and, with the way things are at the moment, he needs someone to look after him. And that someone is you."

"With the way what things are? What are you on about? I'm his best friend; of course I'm going to look after him!" I defend myself, subliminally communicating with this strange voice. Then it hits me. The voice is Lolita, the ghost of his sister! Wait, why the hell is she talking to me?

"Oh save the story, kid, we all know that you and Morty are going to fall deeply in love and live the perfect, happy lives together. Don't ask why; it's just the age-old story and it's a given tradition. Don't mess with fate, kid."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that's _not _happening, okay?" I retort, trying to scrape together some integrity. No way am I having some snobby, little ghost girl decide what I do with my life!

"Oh, trust me, Bella, it'll happen," Then her tone of voice changes. It becomes low and malevolent. "Or else."

I decide that it's best to avoid any witty comebacks and I should probably snap back to reality. I turn to Mortimer to find him staring at me.

**Mortimer's POV**

"Are you alright?" I ask Bella, nonchalant – as if nothing had actually happened.

"Um…" She just stares back at me, with an emotionless expression. I offer her a hand up off the ground. "Something really weird just happened."

"Oh, that happened to you to?" I enquire, my heart slowly picking up speed.

"Well, you tell me what happened to you, first." She says quickly.

"Uh, it was just my imagination. It sounded like somebody was talking to me, but it's probably just because I'm tired and kind of stressed after what happened. It'll be an early night for me tonight, I think, I'll probably feel better after some sleep." I tell her.

"Yeah, yeah, that happened to me too." She giggles nervously. "Well, um, I'll see you at school tomorrow. Bye!" Bella says, acting seriously jumpy and out of character.

"Bye!" I shout after her as I walk back to the house. As soon as I get up to my room, I collapse in a bewildered heap on my bed, and fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

**Sorry I didn't update when I said that I would, I know that it's been over a month since I agreed to post this chapter, but I've had a HUGE amount of revision to do for my upcoming exams. As does SunsetValleyLove, so if anybody here is a fan of hers, she asked me to remind you that she won't be able to update for a couple of weeks until we've both finished our exams for this year (just two more weeks wooooo!) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter; it was my absolute favourite to write so far.**

"D-d-d-d-ding, d-d-d-d-ding!" My alarm clock screeches at me, alerting me that it's six in the morning and time for me to arise for school. Oh lordy, the inevitable ongoing battle to hide my disorder from everyone else is fast approaching.

Sighing, I roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. I face myself in the mirror and sigh harder. It's almost time to re-unleash Cole all over again. I begin the usual routine to disguise him - checking nobody is around, closing the windows and locking the door - then begin to slowly undress. The Cole side of my brain slowly but surely starts to kick in and transforms it into some sort of strip-tease to myself.

"Come on, you handsome adonis!" Cole whispers before climbing into the shower. It's got to be a quick one, I have to contain Cole as quickly as possible, as well as get to school on time.

After my shower, it's time to get dressed. I reach for the school's drab uniform; a navy blazer with the school's logo severely over-stitched on in the top left corner, a white shirt with a collar, dull grey trousers and the usual, unimaginative blue and red diagonally striped tie. The designers and so innovative.

Without bothering to get breakfast, I wait on the doorstep of my home for the school bus to arrive. As if by magic, it does **(well, what do you want? I can't drag this part out any further!).**

Ah, the school bus, the most socially degrading, sould destroying, foul-mouthed way of travelling from A to B. Obviously, I have more of a reason to hate the school bus due to my MPD. In an environment like that, as I've previously mentioned, Alice appears. As you know, Alice is my painfully shy, socially awkward counterpart, who always likes to show up whenever she feels I need to be humiliated further. Thankfully, unless I'm personally being challenged by somebody (other than Michael, who I'm most definately not intimidated by), she doesn't show up.

As per usual, boarding the bus was an agonizingly slow process, with no help from the 50+ year old driver who looks as if he's overdosed on...Calpol. I took a seat near the front of the bus; the back was filled with the stereotypical 'bad', 'popular' and 'wannabe' groups.

The calpol-high driver rolls onwards as we head towards the Bachelor household. Both Bella and Michael are waiting there. Bella smiles and sits beside me, Michael glares and struts his stuff to the back of the bus. Here's the thing, Michael used to be pretty good friends with me. Yeah, he is a few years older than me (currently making him a sixth former at the school) but he used to love hanging out with me and Lolita. He used to have this mad crush on her too, but never worked up the courage to actually ask her out. Then when she died of electrocution, a very painful time which I'd rather not talk about, Michael turned against me. He was adament that I was the reason that she died, and he resented me for that. He detests the fact that I'm friends with his little sister. Even now I question whether it was my fault or not, but most days I would prefer not to think about the matter.

As the bus pulls up outside the school, after a very dangerous journey, might I add, what with an unfit driver and a sixth former set to kill around me, we all rush out at the same time. I feel an elbow dig deep into my ribs in the huge clutter to get out, an elbow that I'm pretty sure belongs to a certain guy named Michael Bachelor.

"Ow!" I mutter, rubbing my ribcage as I jump off the final step.

"Are you alright?" Bella enquires, looking very concerned for my wellbeing.

"Yeah, uh, fine someone just pushed against my ribs, it's OK," I lie, pretty obviously.

"Don't lie to me, Morty. People can get seriously injured by that. Here, I'm a first aider, let me check it over." She lifts my shirt halfway to examine the injury. I struggle but manage to contain Cole as she massages it. Young boys snigger and whistle, but I choose to ignore them "Ah, it looks like it's just a bruise; it should be fine." She confirms.

I glance upwards awkwardly to find Michael giving me extreme evil eyes. Thankfully, the bell rings to save me from the ever-growing anger in his eyes. I try my luck even further by walking to registration with Bella, though I do make sure we're powerwalking to get away from Michael as fast as possible.

"Angus Atkinson?" Our form teacher asks, beginning the register.

"Yes, miss."

"Kelly Baines?"

"Yes, miss."

"Bella Bachelor?"

"Yes, mi-" Bella is interupted.

"Not anymore if she carries on the way she did with Mortimer this morning!" Someone teases from the back of the class.

"Quiet, Bradley!"

She finishes the remainders of the register interuption free, apart from a few sniggers on my name, and we begin our journey to Science. We pass Michael in the corridor, but rather than going to his next class, he's decided to prop himself up against the wall and stare at every passing person. And, believe me, he gave me more than my fair share of staring.

We queue up outside our classroom and, just to add to the unbearably uncomfortable length of time Michael can stare at me for, our teacher decides that he's going to be ten minutes late. When he finally shows up, he puts his laptop down on the desk.

"OK, sorry I'm late, guys, but I've just found out I have something much more important to do so just spend today's lesson doing some revision. Now, I trust you lot, so I'm going to take a risk and not call in a supply teacher. Don't let me down, OK? Good, I'll see you all later." And he picks his laptop back up and walks out.

Much more important than our education? Cheers, sir. Oh, Lordy, he trusts our class to be unsupervised...this is not going to end well. As soon as he's down the other end of the corridor, Bradley jumps out of his seat and runs to the front of the class with a video camera in his hand.

"OK, guys," He says, imitating our teacher and his habit of constantly calling us 'guys' to feel as if he's 'down with the kids'. He returns to his normal voice, though he seems excited about something. "Right, we're all gonna do the Harlem Shake! I'll start us off, then when the dubstep kicks in, everyone jump up and do something stupid, OK? Good."

He leans the camera up against the wall and points it at himself. Then he reaches for his phone and begins to play the track.

"Con los terrostitas...tas...tas" starts. Only now do I realise that it sounds like 'Lolita' slightly. I take a moment to dedicate this song to my beloved deceased sister. Then the dubstep bass drops and, just, as I'm about to join in, I get pulled out of the classroom by a suspicious arm.

"Stay away from my sister, you...blunt pencil!" Shouts Michael, pinning me up against the wall. I take this opportunity to remind you that I don't fear Michael in the slightest and I quite like to act witty whenever he confronts me. I like to think this personality is just me being myself, Mortimer Goth. It probably isn't, but I think I'll continue to tell myself that it is.

"How would you know how blunt my pencil is, Michael Bachelor?" I retort, smirking at my witty comeback. He presses his face up close to mine, so close that his breath is going up my nostrals and into my mouth. He'd been eating salt and vinegar crisps for breakfast.

"Listen, you whimsical piece of crap, if you DARE go anywhere near my sister I'll-"

Michael's interrupted by a passing member of staff, who just happens to be one of the strictest teachers in school. With her victorian length skirts, mis-matching cardigans and thick scottish accent (yes, she travelled all the way from Scotland to teach here. Not worth it, I say) she's superior to nearly everyone on the premisis, including our headmaster. Thankfully, due to her extreme superiority, she can barely recall the names of most of the students in this school.

"Michael Bachelor," She grunts. "Get yourself to class right this second or face immediate suspension." Right, so she manages to remember his name, but fails to notice the fact that he has me pinned against the wall.

"But-" Michael starts.

She raises one eyebrow. "Exclusion?" That shuts him up.

I decide to follow the inquisitive eyebrow raising trend while bringing up our earlier conversation. "Sorry, what were you saying earlier, Michael?" I smirk.

"You too, boy!" She barks, then exits, dragging Michael by the ear to his technology lesson. I grin from afar, though I do fear slightly for my safety, considering Bella and I are best friends.


	5. Chapter 5

**OK, so the storyline's heating up a bit more now and Michael is becoming a little more evil each time (hint, hint at Chapter Six and Seven). There's not many MPD references in this chapter but I can confirm that there's a new personality coming in for Chapter Six and a huge surprise coming up in a couple of chapter's time which will lead to loads of new personalities being unlocked! I hope you enjoy Chapter Five for now!**

As wrong as it may be, I actually enjoyed that little interval with Michael. I actually feel successful, and I know that I don't have to do what he wants just because he threatens me. Yes, I know that it was hard for him to lose Lolita, I can empathize with that a lot considering she was my sister, but he has no reason to take it out on me, and he certainly has no right to keep me away from Bella. I don't even think I'm attracted to her, anyway. She's my best friend and always will be, nothing more, nothing less. Then again I don't necessarily mind when she wants to get close to me-

"Hey, Morty!" Bella shouts, snapping me out of my deep thoughts. She walks over to my desk. "Where were you? Why did you just leave; you missed out on the Harlem Shake!"

"Oh, sorry, I just..." I pause thinking about what I could use as an excuse. It's not that I'm afraid of Michael, I'M NOT, but if I tell Bella then she might tell him and it could all turn into one big catastrophe and-

"Morty?" She waves her hand in front of my face.

"Oh, yeah, I was...I was just, erm, you know..." I flap my arms around, looking like a fool as I try to think up an excuse.

"Oh, right, I know what you mean." She smiles. I'm still confused, but whatever satisfies her, I suppose.

"So, um, what are we going to do for the next fourty minutes?" I enquire, as we should be doing some science work.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could…" She stops and giggles. "Maybe we could just leave! You know, skip school?" I'm actually in shock. Bella, little miss goody-two-shoes, never in trouble, always does what she's told Bachelor has suggested that we leave school?!

"Um, Bella, are you feeling alright?" I ask, concerned for her well-being.

"Yeah, I think so. I just want to feel the adrenaline, you know, the exhilaration you get from doing something bad? Don't you want to feel it too, Morty?"

"Well, I…" I begin, unsure of my answer. It's not that I'm afraid of being caught, the worst they can do is call my parents, but mum and dad are pretty cool with anything; it's just in their nature. Besides, most of our class has gone home by now considering there is no teacher to stop us. No, I'm more afraid of, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, Michael. Yes, I am afraid of Michael Bachelor, and whatever he has planned in the 'or else' column of his brain. Although, knowing Michael, it probably is just an empty threat. Yeah, that sounds about right. "Yeah, sure, we'll skip school."

"Yay, thanks Mortimer!" She somehow lifts me out of my seat and hugs me hard. I go all fuzzy inside. _No you don't, Mortimer._

We casually leave the humid science room and begin our journey through infinite corridors. We pass at least four members of staff before reaching an exit, yet they still don't seem to suspect anything. I think they just have a sixth sense that tells them that we're normal, well behaved students just passing through the corridors. I hold the door open for Bella, and we approach the gates. According to the school rules, there should be a member of staff patrolling these gates from 9am-3pm, but they only stick to the rules on inspection days to be honest. We slip away from the school grounds unnoticed.

"Um, Bella, where do you actually plan on going?" I enquire.

"I don't know, but that's the fun of it!" She grabs my hand. "Don't you love this feeling, Mortimer? It's so…refreshing! I feel like a whole new person!"

"That happens to me on a daily basis, you get used to it." I mutter to myself. Not that I'm irritated by my MPD or anything.

Bella ignores me. "How about we go to the beach? It is a really sunny day, after all."

"Bella, we can't go to a public place. Someone will see us and ask why we're not in school." Good grief, Bella's usually the smart one.

"Well, there are so many wonderful places in Sunset Valley, Mortimer! We just need to go somewhere a bit more private, where we won't get spotted." Bella gestures in a circular motion with her hands.

"Why don't we go to the waterfall?" I suggest. There's hardly every anyone there, and, when Lolita was alive, she used to take me there all the time.

"Yeah let's go there!" And we set off. It's not too far of a walk, only 20 minutes, and before we know it we've arrived. I lay my jacket down for us to sit on and enjoy the beautiful view. We sit quietly and listen to the peaceful splashes for a while until Bella decides to make an announcement.

"Mortimer, you know how we've, um, kind of known each other and, erm…" It's quite incredible; the normally confident and outspoken Bella can't say what she really wants to.

"Yes?" I want to know what she has to say.

"Well, I…" She takes a deep breath. "Mortimer, the reason I've asked you to come out with me today is, I…I really like you. I really like you a lot, and I want to take it to the next step." She looks me straight in the eyes. "I want you to be my boyfriend." Her face is bright with hope.

"Bella, I really would love to," She squeals with excitement and her face lights up further. I can't bear to disappoint her when she looks so passionate about something. "…and that's exactly why I'm saying yes!"

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Bella screams deafeningly loud and throws her arms around me. Then, before I even have time to react, she presses her lips right up against mine. I can feel her tongue asking for entrance, and I let it inside.

"Mortimer Goth! What the (majorly censored) hell do you think you're doing to my little sister?" Michael leaps out from behind a bush so quickly he makes me bite down. I'm so shocked that I can't even tell if I've bitten my own tongue or Bella's.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, again! TWO UPLOADS IN ONE NIGHT?! Yes, and hopefully Chapter Seven tomorrow! Sorry for all the censors, but this story is clean, so just imagine the obscenity that would be being said at that point. Enjoy!**

"You're coming with me, I've had it with you, you little (heavily censored, once again)!" And he lunges forward, attempting to grab me. Bella jumps in the way and slaps her brother's hand away.

"Michael, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing? Get off my boyfriend!" Bella shouts at him, she glances at me to make sure I'm OK.

Meanwhile Michael is nearly fainting out of fury from that declaration.

"Bella, listen to me, he is not your boyfriend and he never will be. You know what he did to his own sister, what if he tries to do that to you too?" He yells to his sister.

"Mortimer didn't kill Lolita! It was her own fault for being stupid with electricity, Mortimer just happened to be there!" Her words nearly make Michael cry. He tries to compose himself, still enraged at me but Bella's right. It wasn't my fault. I shouldn't get blamed, and I definitely shouldn't feel guilty either!

Michael reaches past Bella and grabs my arm, dragging me to my feet as I whip my jacket out from underneath Bella. "Come with me, both of you, and why are you not in school?"

I'm about to cheekily ask him the same question, then I realise that he's a sixth former and only has to go to school for something like two hour a day.

He drags us along, grumbling and muttering to himself about how he's going to get us 'so busted' etc. You'd really think that an 18 year old would be more mature than this, but apparently not in Michael's case. He stops at his own household first to collect his parents, Jocasta and Simis, to come to my house too. I wonder what he has planned, and also why Mr and Mrs Bachelor haven't questioned why we're not at school. It's currently 12:30pm, lunch break, so they probably think that we've come home for lunch.

We've now arrived at my house, yet Michael still refuses to let go of me. He let go of Bella as soon as his parents came along, but those two probably consider this as a friendly gesture between him and me. Yes, I personally consider Jocasta and Simis to be quite dim people.

He storms straight through my unlocked front door, without even knocking and sits himself down in the living room, with me right beside him. My parents look upwards, dad putting down his newspaper and mum finishing off the last bites of her salad.

"What brings you all up to Goth Manor this fine day?" Dad embarrassingly asks.

"Oh, we just thought it would be lovely to have a good old catch up and-" Jocasta begins before being interrupted by Michael.

"Well, Mr and Mrs Goth, it seems Mortimer here has been a bit of a naughty boy." Michael smirks.

"Oh really, dear, what did he do?" Mum enquires nonchalantly. Like I said, she doesn't care what I do, as long as I don't die or anything.

"Mortimer skipped school and went to the waterfall and started kissing Bella!" He shouts, sounding exactly like an eight year old boy snitching on someone.

"Really, Mortimer, that's fantastic!" Dad stands up and walks over to me, gesturing for me to stand up too. He pats me on the back and whispers, in a tone that isn't actually a whisper, "Great going, son, you got yourself a fit one!" I notice Bella smiling slightly.

"Are you not going to punish him?" Michael's hope deflates, which is literal joy to witness.

"Of course not, my gorgeous son's got himself a delightful young lady, why would I punish him for that?"

"Well, what about Bella? Mum, Bella skipped school!" Michael babbles, trying to get his sister in trouble now.

"Darling, isn't it time you found something better to do with your life, a job, perhaps?" Jocasta suggests. "But, Bella, dear, I don't want you doing this again, okay?"

"Yes, mum." Bella smirks, rubbing it in further for Michael.

"Well, aren't you at least going to send them back to school?" Michael asks, nearly pleading now.

"Well, I'm happy for Mortimer to have the rest of the day off to spend with his girl." Mum grins proudly.

"I agree, besides, Bella's clever enough to miss the day, it's not going to do any harm." Simis decides.

"Michael, dear, how about you go upstairs with the other two and play some video games in Mortimer's bedroom to keep yourself occupied?" Mum suggests.

Michael's face lights up once more and he runs up the stairs. Bella and I follow, clutching each other's hands, concerned about Michael's sudden devious face. We find him in my room, loading up some game about bus parking on my Xbox.

Bella and I go sit on my bed and we chat quietly for as long as we can, slightly on edge because of Michael being in the room.

"I'm just going to the loo," Bella says, escaping the awkwardness. Now there's just me and Michael, alone in my bedroom. He immediately swivels round, the look of a psychotic maniac on his face. He jumps up and leaps towards me, landing on top of me in an uncomfortably sexual position. I hope that it wasn't intended, I wouldn't know how to break the news to him that I'm straight. Jokes aside, he's now trying to wrestle me, I think. I'm trying not to get too physically involved, or else youknowwho will kick in. I push him off and he falls to the floor, but instantly gets up and tries to strangle me. I kick him where it hurts and he turns away and begins walking, clutching his injury. Unfortunately he trips on a loose floorboard and his shoe becomes trapped underneath it. Sweet, sweet irony. No matter how hard he pulls, he can't get free.

"Mortimer," He gasps for air. "Please, Morty, buddy, can I have a hand? My foot's stuck. Come on old pal, give a friend a hand!"

Sadly for Michael, I can't even think about helping him because I appear to have switched character. This time into one that very rarely appears; he's a hard core heavy metal and punk music fan, very gothic and the most unhelpful, rude and careless individual that you can ever come across. Ironically, I named him Gabriel. Oh, this day is just filled with wonderful irony.

"Mortimer," Michael begins to cry. I smirk at him while cranking up the radio to Panic At The Disco. "Please…" He gives his foot one final tug before giving up. He unties his shoe and takes it off. He runs down the stairs, wearing only one shoe, in tears.

Bella slips through the door, clutching her chest, obviously scared. She hurries over, turns down the radio, subsequently snapping me out of character, and hugs me.

"Mortimer, are you alright? I saw it all. I don't want to go home with him tonight, and I don't want mum and dad there either. Is it ok with your parents for us three to stay the night, for our own safety?"

"Bella, my parents are fine with anything, you know that. We'll just all have one giant sleepover. What about Michael though, you're sure he'll be alright on his own. I don't want him to try suicide or anything stupid."

"Mortimer, at this point I don't even care. He can do whatever he (censored) wants."

**Just to clarify, for all those concerned and can't wait until tomorrow to find out, Michael will not be killing himself ;) Be excited though!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry I've taken so long to update! I've had the last few weeks of school to deal with and then I went on holiday for a week where there was very little internet connection D: But it's OK, I now have six weeks of no school to continue! Also, I've finally updated my profile and, if you want to know a bit more about me, I'd encourage you to check it out. Enjoy chapter seven! :)**

"Goodnight, Morty," Bella whispers before kissing me and lying down on my bed beside me.

"Goodnight," I murmur. Within minutes I hear Bella, and the entire household, snoring softly. Apart from Simis, he obviously has to ruin it and sound like a pig being strangled.

While they're all soundly asleep, I'm lay here worrying about Michael, of all people. I can't help but wonder what he's been doing all night. He only lives over the road; you can see his house from Caiden's, so surely we would have noticed by now if he had done something monumentally stupid? I mean, come on, Michael's got a reputation for that!

As I ponder through the possibilities of Michael's current mental position, I notice a broad-shouldered shadow moving around outside through my half open curtains. I think nothing of it; it's more often than not that you find people coming for a midnight visit to the graveyard. I return to my thoughts, until I'm once again interrupted by a strange noise. It's a sort of rustle/crackle sound that I can't seem to identify. I come to the conclusion that it's probably Simis having a midnight snack. We all know that he does love his food. I decide, considering that I can't sleep anyway; I might as well go and find out.

I take one last glance at Bella to make sure she's still asleep and tiptoe across the landing. Not like the sound of my footsteps would be any louder than the sound of Simis scraping peanut butter onto his sandwich. I can hear it from all the way upstairs, so he must really be having a hard time. I creep down the stairs to find his in the kitchen, struggling with the sticky peanut chunks mixture. He had the knife half raised in the air over his bread that was basically a huge hole with crusts. That's where all the noise was coming from; he wasn't scraping it along the bread, he was scraping it along the chopping board. Oh, Simis, you can't even make a sandwich anymore!

"Want some help there?" I ask, deciding that if I help the poor man he might be able to go back to sleep. He nods and I get some fresh bread out of the cupboard and make the perfect peanut butter sandwich for my friend in need.

"Thanks, Morty, son." He smiles. I've never understood that; why do people who aren't my parents call me son? It's just a strange habit that people need to get out of.

Simis casually strolls back to the spare room, after walking into practically every other room in the house beforehand. When I'm sure that he's settled and perfectly safe in bed, I go over to the couch and rest. Then I become aware that the crackling sound I heard earlier wasn't just Simis making a sandwich. I feel that it's my duty to go and investigate. I double check my bedroom, the kitchen, the airing cupboard, the bathroom and not a sign of anything.

Just as I'm sure that the noise has gone away, it suddenly roars and crackles louder. The house feels hot, but not warm-hot, HOT-hot. There's also a distinct smell of smoke.

"Mortimer! Mortimer, where are you? What was that sound? What is that smell?" I hear Bella shout. I lightly jog back up the stairs and into the bedroom. Bella's got out of bed and is staring out of the window. Thick black clouds are forming above the roof and we both turn to each other, the exact same word on our minds; fire.

"Get everyone out of the house now!" Bella screams.

We rush into the spare room to fetch Bella's parents. She shakes Jocasta violently to wake her up, screeches the situation at her and they run down the stairs, arm in arm, and out the door. Then I'm left with Simis. He's sat up in bed, working his way through the first half of his sandwich, oblivious to the current predicament even though he's just heard it all.

"Come on, Simis, we have to leave. The house is on fire, get out of bed, man!" I tell him. He doesn't budge and, fearing for my own and his safety, I decide that it's best for me to carry him out. He's a light man, and I do know the fireman's lift.

"Mmmm!" Simis groans, dropping half of his sandwich as I hoist him up over my shoulder, his arms and legs flailing in the air as he desperately trying to reach for the dropped sandwich.

"No Simis, this isn't the time for food. Come on; let's get you out of here." I'm beginning to wonder if Simis is also slightly intoxicated tonight, I mean, he's always a bit loopy but never this much. I hold him still and run out of the front door.

"Mortimer what took you so long?" Bella screams at me.

"Your father!" I shout back, placing Simis down on the ground. Jocasta runs to her husband, her large hips wobbling from side to side and wraps her arms around him.

We stand for a moment, shocked and trying to regain our breath. I really need to join a gym, I think to myself. Suddenly, the blaze ignites further and Bella shrieks once more.

"Your parents, where are they?" She shakes me violently as she realises. We race back into the house and up all three flights of stairs. The fire is starting to burn through the walls and across the wooden floors. They catch light so easily so it's best that we're fast.

"I can't open the door!" Bella yells, trying to shoulder barge it down.

I know that if Bella can't get through the door then I don't even stand a chance; I'm about as useful as a goldfish. That's when I realise Alex is on the verge of taking over. He could get through that door no problem. All I have to do is finish the activation, because, since I've had more control over my personalities, he doesn't just show up at his own free will. Now is when I wish he would!

I have to think fast; the blaze is tearing across the very hallway that we're stood in and the smoke fumes are making it increasingly difficult to breathe. All I can think of under the extreme pressure is running into the door.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" I yell, as I charge into the door and, mid scream, I make the transition into Alex. He kicks the door down and runs inside…then stops dead. No, I stop dead; Alex doesn't stop. The room is completely black. I can't even see the bed, and there's no way I could get through there without major burns. But I have to try. They are my parents after all. Come on, Morty, you can do this.

"Mortimer, don't do it!" Bella grabs me as I charge straight into the flames. I scream, but not in pain. She continues to drag me down all three flights of stairs and out the front door. I collapse onto the ground and break down. Bella wraps her arms around me, and I just sit and cry.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! Can I just thank you all for your lovely reviews? I have to say, I love entertaining you all with my writing and I hope I can continue to do so in the future! I'm sorry it's so short, but I wanted the Bachelor household scene to be a whole other chapter. Anyway, enjoy the eighth chapter of Living As Them!**

"Mr Goth," I open my eyes to find a tall, smartly-dressed, stubbly man standing over me. I glance around the prominently white and blue room before realising I'm lying in a hospital bed. "How about we begin with some introductions? My name is Doctor Hade, but you may address me as Jeremy." Jeremy shoots me a sideward smirk. He reminds me of a media medic that I've seen on TV. Ah, Doctor Christian Jessen. Oh dear, I hope that I'm not on _Embarrassing Bodies._

"Mortimer," He gestures towards the end of my hospital bed. "May I?" Jeremy lowers himself down onto the bed. "Do you remember anything about the incident?"

I stare at him, unsure of whether he's being sarcastic. Of course I remember that! I nod, biting my tongue before I say something potentially offensive.

"Then I'm sure you will want to know what we're going to do from here on, am I right, son?" 'Son', how many more times do I have to tell people that I am not their son? Do they not have the general paternal instincts where they are aware of their own offspring?

"Yes," I try to muffle the ever growing library of sarcastic comments in my head and actually listen to the man.

"Your mother and father," I look to the ground, preparing myself for the worst. "They're in a stable condition; they're improving day by day. They have opened their eyes, and they're breathing very well considering the dangerous amount of smoke they inhaled. They are, however, suffering from lighter second degree burns, but they won't cause too much discomfort." Jeremy stopped, analysing my reaction of relief. "Unfortunately, Mortimer, they are not fit to take care of you and will not be for a number of weeks. Besides, your house is so large it will take at least a month to repair the damage."

"Well...where am I going to stay?"

"With me." Bella steps through the door silently and calmly kneels down beside my bed.

**Michael's POV**

I've done it. I am an incredible human being.

"I am indestructible!" I scream to the sky, kneeling down on the ground of the graveyard. It's moist from the water that was used to put the blaze out.

"You really aren't. You're a sick child, Michael Bachelor." Oh. My. God.

"Lolita, darling, you've come for me!" I rise upwards to touch my one true love.

"Get your hands off me you sports jacket wearing freak! How _dare _you waltz on over here, try to murder my family and then expect me to love you?" She screams at me.

"Lolita, my dear, for I was merely taking part in some friendly tomfoolery with your dearest brother Mortimer." I wrap my arm around her (theoretically) and she (hypothetically) shoves me away.

"What's with the Shakespearean English, Michael? Trying to cover up the fact that you're a heartless, thoughtless, narcissistic little creep that will never find love? You are who you are, Michael." As she says those words, the ground begins to gently shake. A whole host of ghosts rise from their graves and repeat her final phrase.

"You are who you are, Michael." They chorus in a malevolent, yet seductive and inviting, manner. It seems to hypnotize me. I lose myself in the reprising vocals of the undead.

"I suggest you make it up to me, Michael Bachelor, or you'll be joining us," Lolita pauses and the chorus halts. "sooner than you think." The ghosts echo her final words, before fading back into their graves.

Woah. I think I'll head home now; I'm going to have enough of a challenge trying to dodge the forensic investigators. Goth Manor has become a crime scene now.

**Mortimer's POV**

"You're going to have such a super fun time with us, Mortimer!" Jocasta beams as she drives us back to her home. 'Super fun time'…does she think I'm six years old? I'm an adolescent, not a child, thank you.

I smile at her to show that, despite my 'gothic' appearance, I can be polite.

"We'll take you shopping this afternoon for some new clothes-"

"I'll take him shopping, mum." Bella interrupts. Thank God for that, Jocasta probably would have wanted me to buy some Hawaiian style shirt or some brightly coloured shorts of some description.

"OK, love. And you can share Michael's room, I'm sure he won't mind." I freeze. Oh Lord. Why can nobody understand that Michael and I are deadly enemies?

"Why doesn't Mortimer share my room?" Bella suggests, trying to save me from enduring whatever Michael could possibly do to me.

"Bella, pet, we don't want you two getting up to any how's-your-father now, do we?" Says Simis. Cue both him and his wife launching into fits of unnecessarily loud laughter.

"Of course we wouldn't do that, we're only fourteen!" Bella tries to defend our dignity. "Well, how about Morty sleeps on the couch?"

"Oh no, dear, that would be terribly uncomfortable. Besides, I tried it once and kept rolling back off it!" Yes, well maybe that's because of your increasingly large hips, woman. I force myself not to say that out loud. "I think Mortimer would be much more comfortable in Michael's room. You never know, they could end up being 'bros', eh, Morty?" She and Simis, once again, burst into unnecessarily loud laughter. I half smile, half sigh and then turn to Bella with a horrified expression on my face.

Why do these things always happen to me?


End file.
